(a) Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an umbrella grip, and more particularly to an umbrella grip that allows an umbrella to be positioned in a container or the like without the trouble of tangling other items in the container, or be externally hung to any closed item.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
Most people would usually carry an umbrella along with them when going out on a cloudy or rainy day for use at any time.
To enable convenient carrying of an umbrella, particularly a small-sized folding umbrella, a strap is usually provided on a grip of the umbrella to project therefrom and form a closed loop for gripping with fingers.
To carry the umbrella, it would usually occupy a user's one hand. In the event the user has to do something with two hands, such as carrying a baby or picking up something during shopping, the umbrella would inevitably form an inconvenience and confusion to the user.
Therefore, it is preferably a folded or collapsed umbrella be positioned in a bag or the like carried along with the user or externally hung to the carried bag or something near at hand when the umbrella is not in use. In this way, the user may have two hands free for use. In the case of a wetted umbrella, it is usually externally hung to the carried bag to avoid wetting other items in the bag.
When it is desired to take out a pocket or mini umbrella having such a strap from something carried along with the user, such as a handbag, it is very possible a loop portion of the strap tangles other small items, such as cosmetics, in the handbag to embarrass the user or cause inconvenience to the user.
A user at home may easily hang the umbrella on a wall surface or a clothes tree in the house by winding the loop portion of the strap on a generally open-topped hook on the wall or the clothes tree. However, such hook is not always available at other public spaces. Therefore, there are times the user fails to find something suitable for conveniently hanging the umbrella at any time. And, it is almost impossible to hang the umbrella to a closed item, such as a top handle of the user's handbag or a nearby chair frame, via the conventional strap that provides a closed loop portion.
It is therefore desirable to have an umbrella that could be positioned in a container or the like, such as a handbag, carried along with the user without tangling other things in the handbag, or be externally hung to a closed item at any time as necessary.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,616,868 discloses an umbrella grip with a tying string formed into a loop. The umbrella grip does not include any retraction mechanism or winding design for retracting the loop of the tying string inwardly into the grip or winding the loop on outer surface of the grip when the use of the tying string is not desired. The protruded loop of the tying strip tends to tangle other small items in a handbag or the like, in which the umbrella not in use is positioned, and therefore causes troubles in taking the umbrella out of the handbag or the like. Moreover, since the loop of the tying string is a closed loop that could not be arbitrarily opened, it is impossible to hang the umbrella to a closed item via the closed loop when the umbrella is not in use.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,632,137 discloses an umbrella grip with a rigid retaining ring. When the umbrella is not in use, the retaining ring is fixedly held in a recess provided on the grip and prevented from tangling other items. However, the retaining ring is also a closed ring member that could not be put around a closed item to hang the umbrella thereto.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,624,276 discloses an umbrella grip having a fastening element. When the umbrella is not in use, the fastening element is wound around an annular groove provided on the grip without tangling other things. However, the fastening element has two closed ends and could not be put around any closed item for hanging thereto.